Meningitis outbreak: Three new cases in TN but injection site infections soar

Dec. 6, 2012

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The Tennessean

Fungal infections in Tennessee have soared since Thanksgiving. Illnesses now total 107 with 23 new ones since the holiday. The surge is due the secondary wave of localized infections at the injection site, said Tennessee Health Commissioner Dr. John Dreyzehner. He urged heath care clinicians to continue to be on the lookout for infections.

“The end of the risk period is frankly unknown,” Dreyzehner said. He could not say how long the risk window is for the localized infections, which are not considered as life-threatening as fungal meningitis.

Three of the newly reported are early cases of fungal meningitis, Dreyzehner said, while some new injection site infections occurred in patients who had previously been treated for meningitis.